New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission begins accepting retail license applications for recreational marijuana

Last Tuesday, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission began to accept license applications from retail businesses wanting to sell recreational marijuana to adult residents across the state, according to an article from NJ Advance Media.

The agency, which launched in 2021, has already received 172 license applications as of last Tuesday and will continue reviewing new applications on a rolling basis, according to a press release.

Applications from businesses owned by minorities, veterans with disabilities and individuals with prior cannabis-related convictions will be given priority during the commission's review process.

While they began accepting applications for retail licenses last Tuesday, the agency has been reviewing cultivation and manufacturing license applications from cannabis growers, product manufacturers and testing labs since December 2021, according to the article.

The commission has also been reviewing applications from alternative treatment centers that already sell medicinal marijuana and want to expand into the recreational cannabis market.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission will continue reviewing these applications and will provide updates on their status during a hearing this Thursday, according to the article.

While the state had originally hoped to begin adult-use recreational marijuana sales in February, multiple factors including a lack of approval from municipalities have pushed back the timeline, according to an article from NJ Advance Media.

"One of the biggest deficiencies we’re seeing is a lack of municipal approval,” Jeff Brown, the executive director of the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. “It’s the priority of the (Cannabis Regulatory Commission) to get recreational sales started as soon as we can, but we have to do it in a way that’s compliant with the law.”